1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to spacers, and more particularly, to an axial spacer for a rotational assembly, such as, for example, a cooling fan of a vehicle. The invention is not limited to a sole application, but has utility in association with other rotational assemblies and applications.
2. Background Art
The use of spacers is well known in the art. For example, spacers may be utilized on axles and other rotating components to change the axial positioning of an accessory attached thereto. Such spacers comprise extruded members or milled members, which are often formed from metal, or an alloy thereof.
While such spacers have been utilized with success, there have been some drawbacks. For example, spacers are often quite heavy. Thus, they add to the overall rotational load imposed upon the rotating component. This added rotating mass often negates any advantage provided by the axial spacing. Additionally, in other applications, a properly sized spacer is difficult to achieve, and spacers may require special milling or other procedures to achieve a desired dimensional configuration. As such, the use of a conventional spacer may improve the overall operation, but it may remain substantially less than optimized.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a spacer which reduces weight and spinning mass, to increase the utility of same, especially, where weight considerations are crucial.
It is another object of the invention to provide for spacers which can be stacked together to achieve a desired thickness.
It is another object of the invention to overcome shortcomings with prior art spacers which suffer from the above-described deficiencies.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in light of the specification and claims appended hereto.